Michael talks about the scandal, doing the minisseries, playing Chris Tarrant, and more:

Michael Sheen, who plays Chris Tarrant on Quiz, talks about his getting a unique perspective on the Ingrams’ guilt and what it was like playing British TV legend Tarrant.

Q: Did you remember this scandal?

A: In Britain, I think I was probably similar to most people here who remembered it because it was such a big deal at the time, and the tabloid newspapers were all over it, and it was such a huge show… I think, like most people, I seem to remember watching the episodes when they came out. But they never did come out. They’ve never been shown, so the whole of the country pretty much has misremembered watching the actual episode. What actually came out was the documentary that ITV put out, which is very sort of ITV’s agenda, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?‘s agenda, so very kind of biased towards their guilt — and then that’s connected to the other part, which is my memory of them before I read the scripts for this where I had no question that they were guilty. I just totally remembered that it was this terrible thing and they did this thing and they got done for it and all that. So that’s what I remembered before I read the scripts.

Q: What drew you to the show?

A: How I came to the project was through [Executive Producer] Stephen Frears. Stephen called me. I was in New York and he was coming to New York and he said, “Let’s go and have dinner. Something I want to talk to you about.” And so we went out for dinner, and he told me that he was doing this project and would I think about playing the part… He’s probably my favorite director to work with and he’s had such a huge effect on my life. The first film I ever did was with Stephen, a film called Mary Reilly many years ago with Julia Roberts and John Malkovich… so obviously if Stephen says he wants me to do something, I’m there. But also in this case it was written by James Graham, who I’d been working with for a little while on another project. So I know James and I’m a big fan of his work and his writing, and I was aware that it had been a play before, which I didn’t see but I had been aware of him. I knew it was a very popular play. It had been a big success. So I was already predisposed to liking it, so Stephen said, “Right, I’ll get the scripts sent to you.”

So before the scripts got to me, I watched that documentary again, and this was before I knew what line the script would take, so I just watched the documentary, thinking they were guilty because that was my memory. And the documentary just seemed so over the top trying to make out they were guilty. By the end of it, I was like, “There’s something not right about this.” And then the script came and I read the scripts, and the scripts are not about trying to say they’re innocent, but they’re certainly trying to say there’s more to this story than people would like to believe, so my instincts from watching the documentary were sort of borne out by the scripts. And I just remember reading all three episodes just straight through. They worked so brilliantly on the page… And so I said straightaway, “Absolutely, I want to do this.”

Quiz is coming to AMC on Sunday, May 31 and is already Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with a score 96% at its Tomatometer and a critic consensus that reads: “With clever writing, a slick production, and a pitch perfect Michael Sheen, Quiz crafts a captivating snapshot of a wild scandal that will keep viewers on their toes.”

Read what critics are saying about the three-part drama and Michael’s performance:

However, the most eye-catching and ear-grabbing performance was Michael Sheen’s razzle-dazzle turn as Chris Tarrant, the quiz show’s host. Sheen combined a note-perfect impersonation with a spiky character study, underscoring a defining trait of all TV personalities: the gnashing teeth beneath the smarmy smile. Nobody emerged unscathed from Quiz, but the skewering of broadcaster-kind and their delusional vanities was its top prize.

If Michael Sheen’s splendid impression of Chris Tarrant did not impress then, please, watch it again. Apparently Tarrant approached Sheen at an event just after he had been cast to play him and said: “You look nothing like me,” which is true, but with a blond wig and fake tan, Sheen was transformed. Close your eyes and his voice, the intonation, his little high-pitched laughs and the way he called the phone-a-friend helpers at home to say “John? Hi, THIS is CHRIS Tarrant,” were Rory Bremner good. It was almost as slick as Sheen’s Tony Blair and his Brian Clough; he didn’t have the lead role, but he kind of stole the show.

But grab the public imagination it did, so much so that nearly 20 years on it has been made into Quiz (ITV), a three-part drama starring Matthew Macfadyen as the major and Sian Clifford as his wife, Diana (both so far following their media portrayals at least, as hapless and Lady Macbethesque respectively), and – most eye-catchingly – Michael Sheen as a pitch perfect Chris Tarrant. If you close your eyes, it’s him. The physical resemblance is uncanny, too, but in a more complicated way – you have to go back to the original to remind yourself that the presenter really does have that plasticky a rictus grin and adjust your credulity accordingly.

Michael discusses Quiz, Good Omens, Prodigal Son, fans and being a father for the second time at 50. Read more:

LOS ANGELES—Michael Sheen has played Prime Minister Tony Blair, TV broadcaster icon David Frost and renowned human sexuality researcher William Masters, but the role he enjoys reprising these days is that of a father.

It has been 20 years since Michael became a first-time dad when he and Kate Beckinsale had Lily Mo Beckinsale-Sheen. Last September, the English actor returned to playing one of his favorite roles—a father—to Lyra, his daughter with Swedish actress Anna Lundberg.

“It’s been 20 years since I did this,” Michael confirmed in a video call about becoming a dad again at age 51.

“To be a new dad with a little baby in lockdown as well is a very particular experience,” said the Golden Globe nominee for the TV drama series, “Masters of Sex.” “It’s been great because it means that her routine comes first. I know a lot of people have been saying since the lockdown that routine is such an important thing because otherwise, you end up living in your pajamas all day, not doing anything. But, of course, she has a routine that has to be stood by, so she dictates what happens in the day.

The trio will talk about the miniseries before the premiere on AMC. Get notified:

AMC’s upcoming three-part drama QUIZ is directed by the globally renowned Stephen Frears (A Very English Scandal, Florence Foster Jenkins, Philomena, The Queen) and written by playwright James Graham (Brexit: An Uncivil War, Ink, This House (Prodigal Son). Join series stars Sian Clifford (Fleabag), Matthew Macfadyen, and Michael Sheen as they speak with Entertainment Weekly’s Ruth Kinane to discuss the fictional recreation of how Major Charles Ingram (Matthew Macfadyen), his wife Diana (Sian Clifford) and an accomplice were accused of cheating their way to a million pounds on what was the most popular game show hosted by Chris Tarrant (Michael Sheen) on earth in 2001 and the media storm that took place during the trial.

Actors Matthew Macfadyen and Sian Clifford and writer James Graham will also attend the event on May 27. Learn more:

The Variety Streaming Room will host an exclusive series premiere screening presented by AMC of the first episode from upcoming series, Quiz, on May 27 at 5pm PT / 8pm ET. Immediately following the show, Variety’s Michael Schneider will conduct a Q&A with stars Matthew Macfadyen (“Succession”), Sian Clifford (“Fleabag”) and Michael Sheen (“Good Omens”) along with writer/executive producer James Graham.

Quiz chronicles the infamous scandal of Charles Ingram, a contestant on the ITV quiz show “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” While his first night on the show is a disaster, the second night, the unsuspecting Charles Ingram, played by Matthew Macfadyen, has a brand-new strategy and successfully moves all the way up the question ladder. Eventually, an increasingly suspicious production team launches an investigation that leads them to an incriminating pattern of coughs in the studio audience. Charged with fraud and persecuted by the public and press, Charles, his wife Diana and the alleged cougher head to court. At first it seems the trial is an easy decision, but as the case for the defense gets underway, the jury learns there is far more to the story than they realize.

AMC is home to some of the most popular and acclaimed programs on television. AMC was the first basic cable network to ever win the Emmy Award for outstanding drama series with “Mad Men” in 2008, which then went on to win the coveted award four years in a row, before “Breaking Bad” won it in 2013 and 2014. The network’s series “The Walking Dead” is the highest-rated series in cable history.

The Variety Streaming Room is dedicated to presenting virtual conversations that span from private screenings of upcoming projects in film and TV, exclusive Q&As with creators and talent and relevant B2B discussions with industry thought leaders.

The BBC talk show is back tonight at 9pm GMT on BBC One for the first lockdown episode. Michael will be talking about Quiz from his home. Read more:

As the UK lockdown continues, all sorts of TV shows are having to get a little creative to bring entertainment to the nation, and Friday night chat show The Graham Norton Show is chief among them.

For this series, the programme is moving to a new slot – 9:00pm – and a shorter runtime as Graham interviews guests virtually from home, beginning in the first episode with singer Michael Bublé, actors Michael Sheen, Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard and musician Celeste, who’ll perform her new single.

“We can’t wait to be back on Friday nights bringing a little bit of lightness during this strange time,” Norton said in a release, before getting stuck into the usual mix of chat and games.

The three-part drama based on the true story of coughing Major Charles Ingram and the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? scandal starts on ITV on Monday April 13 at 9PM GMT. Read an interview Michael gave to the British channel on the minisseries:

What are your memories of Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? when it first came to the screen in 1998?

I remember being really struck that a TV quiz show was on every night of the week in primetime. It was unheard of at the time. Then watching Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? and being blown away by the tension of it. It was so compelling and really groundbreaking.

In doing the research for this it was fascinating to be able to watch the experimentation they did before they got it right. The version of the show they did before they had all the tense music, the lighting and all of that. It just looked like any game show at that stage.

Apart from the £1 million on offer and the structure of how you could win it, the show was completely different and not in any way gripping. It was really interesting to see the difference the tweaks they made had and how it suddenly became a massive hit. As soon as it hit its groove it was mind-blowing.

Why did you want to be involved in Quiz?

It is an extraordinary story. It’s one of those things that has such potential. At first you think, ‘Oh really? A story about Who Wants to Be A Millionaire? Is that going to be that interesting?’ Initially you think it’s going to be a little bit flimsy, maybe. Then you realise that actually it’s a way to explore all kinds of much bigger, complicated, complex issues. That you can’t take anything for granted when it comes to how it looks on the surface.

I was drawn to Quiz because I remembered what happened. And the fact James Graham had written it and Stephen Frears was directing. You think, ‘This is going to be interesting.’ Then as I started reading the scripts you really get drawn into it. So, I hope that’s the experience for the audience watching it as well. I’m sure it will be. It’s a story about far more than just the ‘Coughing Major’. And yet it says so much about us as a nation as well in so many ways. It says a lot about television, about entertainment, about how public perceptions can be influenced by all kinds of different things. It’s a very British heist that happened.

Choose one that works for you and enjoy the show! Don’t forget to click on this link to find out which time it begins on your timezone.

Some observations:

Streaming websites are crowded with full-screen advertisements (especially on the video itself) and are usually hard to remove. In order not to put your computer at risk, it is recommended (but not required) to use the AdBlock extension. Unfortunately, however, some streams do not work if AdBlock is enabled, so keep your antivirus software enabled.

To close the ads, click on the ‘x’ or the ‘close’ buttons of your windows. You may need to click more than once.

Your browser may warn you that the website is not secure and could try to prevent your access. In this case, you will need to: click on “if you understand the risks to your security, access this unsafe site”, which usually appears when you click on “Details”; or choose another stream if you don’t want to.

Stream websites crash. And the quality of your stream depends largely on two factors: your internet connection and the number of people watching the same stream as you. Also, clearing your browser’s cache can help a lot at this time.

He also spoke to Leigh Journal about playing a TV host and the respect he has now for Tarrant. Read more below:

Michael Sheen has said he shies away from using prosthetics when playing real people because they can be distracting.

The Welsh star will next be seen playing Chris Tarrant in a series based on the infamous Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? cheating scandal.

Quiz stars Matthew Macfadyen as Major Charles Ingram and Fleabag’s Sian Clifford as his wife Diana.

Dubbed the “Coughing Major”, Ingram was found guilty along with his wife and their accomplice, Tecwen Whittock, played by Michael Jibson, of cheating their way to the top prize in 2001.

The trio maintained their innocence but were convicted of deception following a high-profile 2003 trial.

Describing turning into Tarrant for the role, Sheen, who has famously played Tony Blair, David Frost and Brian Clough, said: “You wear a bald cap and then put the wig on top of it, so it’s quite hot, but that’s just brilliant work by the makeup and hair department.

Website Status

Disclaimer

Michael Sheen Source has no affiliation to Michael Sheen, his management or his family. This is a fan-made site designed to inform people who follow the actor’s career. Everything we publish here is only because we want to share all the good things about Michael with other fans of his. No copyright infringement is intended. Everything here is copyright to their respective owners, unless stated otherwise. If you do not want any of your material in our website, please, contact me at michaelsheensource@gmail.com before taking any legal action andI will take them down as fast as I can.

In respect to Michael’s privacy and his family’s, Michael Sheen Source will not post paparazzi-taken or unauthorized photos that are unrelated to his professional life.

Thank you for visiting us!

Search

Michael Sheen Source is a non-profit making fansite, made by fans for fans and it is not affiliated in any way with Michael Sheen, his family or his management. All graphics and images on this site are copyrighted to the original owner and no infringment is intended. If you're the owner of anything here and would like us to remove it or credit you for it, please, don't hesitate and contact us. Some Rights Reserved.